During the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered his fourth concussion in five years.
It was a scary scene, as he appeared to involuntarily assume the fencing position, just as he did when he suffered a similar head injury against the Cincinnati Bengals two years ago. Tagovailoa was ruled out shortly after leaving the field, with many wondering if he would walk away from football for good.
Tua Tagovailoa Isn’t Considering Retirement
However, Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Instead, Tagovailoa has been meeting with a neurologist and various concussion specialists with the goal of getting back on the field as soon as he’s ready.
From @NFLGameDay: #Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, sources say. He’s already begun seeing concussion specialists and will continue to do so, but there is no timeline to return. Tua will be back when he and his doctors deem him healthy and ready. pic.twitter.com/Cc6aQI8HcZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 15, 2024
After the Dolphins-Bills game, several former NFL players weighed in and wondered if Tua should walk away from the sport.
“I’m thinking retirement here,” legendary NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez said during Amazon Prime Video’s post-game show. Meanwhile, fellow retired players Shannon Sharpe and Dez Bryant were among those who suggested the same on social media.
This wasn’t a crazy suggestion, especially considering Tua has admitted that he considered retiring after suffering two concussions during the 2022 NFL season.
“I think I considered it for a time,” Tagovailoa said in 2022. “Having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations, but, really, it would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am, with my son — I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do. It’s my health, it’s my body, and I feel like this is what’s best for me and my family. I love the game of football. If I didn’t, I would’ve quit a long time ago.”
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel pushed back on the narrative that Tagovailoa should retire.
“It would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject,” McDaniel said. “I’m gonna plead with everybody that does genuinely care: [retirement] should be the last thing on your mind.”
This was Tagovailoa’s third official concussion since he entered the NFL and his fourth dating back to college.
“I’m just worried about the human being,” McDaniel added after the latest concussion. “From a medical standpoint, I don’t approach things I’m far inferior in expertise. For me to forecast things that I don’t know, I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
It’s worth noting that Tagovailoa signed a massive contract extension last offseason, which made him the fifth-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. His deal is worth $212.4 million over four years and includes a $42 million signing bonus and $167.2 million guaranteed.
How Long Will Tagovailoa Be Sidelined?
When it comes to concussions, no one knows how long he’ll be out. The Dolphins have placed Tua on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least four games as he recovers. The earliest that Tagovailoa could return is Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals.
It all comes down to how Tagovailoa is feeling and progressing. Fortunately for Dolphins fans and fantasy managers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided a positive update on Monday evening, saying that Tagovailoa has been symptom-free and that in his meetings with neurologists, they haven’t told “him anything to dissuade him from” playing this season. In fact, there’s a real chance that Tua could be back in Week 8 against the Cardinals.
This aligns with what we heard recently from NFL insider Tom Pelissero on “The Rich Eisen Show.” Pelissero revealed that Tua traveled with the team to Seattle in Week 3 and has resumed all of his normal non-football activities. The fact that he was cleared to fly and felt up for traveling on a six-hour flight is an excellent sign.
“The short version of what they’ve told him is, ‘Hey, if you’re feeling good, do all your normal activities, just not football stuff.'” Pelissero said. “And that’s what Tua wants. He wants to be engaged. He’s been in meetings. He was on the sideline. He’s been talking with the quarterbacks. That all tracks with what we’ve been reporting, which is that Tua intends to be back on the field at some point in the future and, quite possibly, later on this season.”
Pelissero also notes that the Dolphins aren’t operating like a team that expects to be without their starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, as they haven’t engaged in trade talks to acquire a QB from another team. Instead, they just signed Tyler “Snoop” Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad as more of a stopgap solution.
🎥 Tom Pelissero on Tua Tagovailoa's return: "[Tua] wants to be engaged. He's been in meetings, he was on the sideline… Tua intends to be back on the field at some point in the future and quite possible later on in this season." (@RichEisenShow) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/pBUO3cMGB7
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) September 27, 2024
With that said, the Dolphins aren’t rushing him back. They “are committed to placing no timeline on him as he works through a deliberate process and eventual return to play,” reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
As previously mentioned, Tagovailoa will speak with neurologists and concussion specialists in the coming days, which will help determine a recovery timeline.
After Tagovailoa experienced a similar fencing posture against the Bengals back in 2022, he missed two games and then suffered another concussion against the Green Bay Packers later that year, which ended his season. Back then, Tagovailoa met with specialists in Detroit and Pittsburgh, and he’s expected to meet with those same doctors now.
“Every situation is unique,” McDaniel said. “I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands. I’m just worried about the human being. He’ll drive the ship when we get the appropriate information.”
Fortunately, McDaniel recently offered an encouraging update when he spoke to the media (including PFN’s Adam Beasley).
“He’s downstairs today, smiling with his teammates,” McDaniel said. “He’s working with trainers and medical staff diligently. As far as I’m concerned, you’re in the protocol, and I think he’s doing well today and we take it day by day.
“He was feeling good, but what does that mean in terms of a medical diagnosis? I don’t base my judgments on my interactions with him, necessarily, as much as it is hearing the end result of the medical examination and where he where he’s at. It was good to see him. And I know his teammates were pumped to see him.”
When asked about Rapoport’s report from Sunday that stated Tagovailoa wants to continue playing, McDaniel added: “I think it’s [an] utmost priority of mine for Tua to speak on his career. I think reports are reports. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just worried about the human being and where that’s at, day to day. I’ll let Tua be the champion of his own career and speak on that.”
It remains to be seen how long Tagovailoa will be out or if he’ll return to the Dolphins’ lineup at some point this season. For now, consider Tua out indefinitely while he recovers and weighs what’s best for his health now and in the future.